June 2017 Articles

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Care of the Broodmare and Newborn Foa

Care of the Broodmare and Newborn Foal Courteney Holland—cem0022@auburn.edu Auburn University Most horse owners who have decided to raise a foal from their mare often miss the actual birth of the foal. The average pregnancy length in the mare is 336 to 340 days, but horses have a wide variation in pregnancy lengths (normal foals have been produced from pregnancies as short as 305 days and as long as 400 days), making it difficult for the horse owner to predict the actual date of birth. Also, most mares foal during the night or very early morning, making the birth difficult for the average horse owner to monitor. Fortunately, mares seldom experience foaling difficulties and usually require no assistance during foaling. However, there are several steps the owner should take after the foal is born to assure the health of the mare and foal. Care of the Foal If you are present during the birth of the foal, the first step after the delivery is to make sure the foal is breathing. Quietly approach the foaling area and remove the birth sack (amnion) from the foal’s head. If the foal is breathing, your job is complete and you should leave the foaling area and observe the mare and foal from a distance. This allows the mare and foal time alone to recover from the de- livery and bond to each other socially. If the foal does not begin breathing on its own, tickle its nostril with a piece of grass or straw or blow into the foal’s mouth to stimulate the respiratory reflex. If the foal still does not breathe, try rubbing the foal vigorously, squeezing its ribs or lifting it about one foot off the ground and dropping it. These procedures usually shock the foal slightly and initiate respiration. A normal, healthy foal lifts its head and neck and rolls onto its chest within several seconds after delivery. Then the foal begins to make creeping movements away from its dam. If the mare has not stood up yet, the foal’s movements usually break the naval (umbilical) cord. You should wait for either the mare or foal to break the umbilical cord. Do not cut the umbilical cord immediately after birth, because it is thought the foal receives blood from the placenta after birth. Cutting the cord be- fore this blood transfer may result in circulatory problems in the foal. Foals with circulatory problems typically seem dumb and may have convulsions, leading to the common terms of “dummy” or “wanderer” foals for this condition. Once the umbilical cord breaks, the stump should be dipped in a mild, 1 to 2 percent iodine solution. The iodine dries the umbilical stump and prevents bacteria from traveling up the stump and entering the foal’s body. Bacteria that enter the foal through the umbilical stump cause a systemic infection known by various names, such as shigellosis, naval ill, joint ill, or polyarthritis. This infection causes severe illness or death in foals and causes swelling and deformities in the foal’s joints. You should examine the naval stump for several days after birth to make sure that it remains dry. Urine dripping from the stump indicates that the fetal urine passage from the bladder to the umbilical (the urachus) has not closed. Normally the urachus closes at birth. If it fails to close, in a condition called “persistent urachus,” the foal should be treated by a veterinarian. Usually, foals stand within 1 hour after birth. During the first standing attempts, the foal is un- steady and constantly shifting its head, neck, and feet in an attempt to remain balanced. This unsteadiness is normal, and you should let the foal stand by itself. Lifting the foal onto its feet before its legs are strong enough to support it may strain tendons and ligaments, and it interferes with the bonding process between the mare and foal. Nursing. When it stands, the foal should begin nursing attempts. The foal instinctively searches at the junction of the mare’s legs (both front and back) and body for the udder. The exploratory process involved with finding the udder is normal, and, again, you should resist the desire to “help” the foal. Human interference during initial nursing attempts actually may slow the foal’s progress in finding the udder, and it interferes with the mare- foal bond. However, if the foal has not nursed by 2 hours after birth or if the mare aggressively rejects the foal’s attempts to nurse, then it is time to interfere. Help the foal stand up and gently guide it to the mare’s udder. Hand milk a few drops of colostrum (the mare’s first milk) from the mare and coat your fingers and the mare’s teats with it. Get the foal to suck your finger coated with colostrum and gradually move your finger beside the mare’s teat. Then, slowly pull your finger out of the foal’s mouth so the foal will switch to the teat. This procedure may have to be repeated several times before the foal makes the switch to the teat. Occasionally a young mare or a mare with a swollen, sensitive udder will have to be restrained for several nursing sessions before she willingly lets the foal nurse. If the mare does not accept the foal after a few nursing bouts, you should call your veterinarian to tranquilize the mare. Keeping the mare tranquilized for a day or two solves most foal rejection problems. Remember to use extreme caution whenever you are working with a foal. Normally gentle, well-mannered mares can become very protective and aggressive if they think you are threatening their foal. Colostrum. It is important for the foal to receive colostrum soon after birth because it contains antibodies needed for disease protection during the first few months of the foal’s life. These antibodies can be absorbed by the foal’s intestinal tract for up to 36 hours after birth, but absorptive ability begins decreasing drastically at 12 hours after birth. Therefore it is important that the foal receive colostrum before this time has passed.
Continued from page 16 Your veterinarian can perform a simple test to determine if the foal has received adequate protection from colostrum. This test should be done about 6 hours after birth. This gives you an opportunity to correct potential deficiencies in immunity during the time the foal can absorb antibodies from its intestinal tract. To ensure that the mare has high amounts of antibodies in her colostrum, vaccinate her approximately 30 days before foaling. If you miss this vaccination time, make sure the foal is protected against tetanus by giving it a tetanus antitoxin injection at birth. The tetanus antitoxin is less efficient than immunity from colostrum because it protects the foal for only 2 to 3 weeks while its umbilical stump heals. Because the foal’s immune system is not mature enough to use a tetanus toxoid vaccination until it is 3 to 5 months old, the foal is unprotected for 21⁄2 to 3 months if it does not receive protection from the colostrum. Colostrum has a laxative effect on the foal, which helps it pass the fetal excrement (meconium). Most foals pass the meconium within 4 hours after birth. If the meconium is not passed, the foal can become constipated. A constipated foal frequently stops moving, squats, and raises its tail trying to defecate. Constipation can be relieved easily by giving the foal a warm, soapy water enema (1 to 2 cups) or a prepackaged human mineral oil enema. You should observe the foal for several days for signs of constipation and correct any problems.